My heart lurches. Of course he did. “Really?”
Daniel nods, laying a hand on my shoulder. “He’s in the study, he said he needed to play a little. Why don’t you go join him?”
“I’ll say hi to Chris and Aunt Evelyn first,” I deflect with a too-bright smile and head toward the kitchen.
The moment I see Chris and Evelyn, the years collapse. I squeal, drop the tray on the counter, and rush into their arms. Percy barrels into me first, knocking me to the floor just like old times. His weight, his slobbering kisses, his wagging tail—it’s too much, and I laugh breathlessly as I shower him with pets.
“I’ve missed you too, big wad!”
Daisy bounds in right after, climbing onto my belly. I can barely catch my breath, laughter spilling out of me, when Chris pulls me up and swings me around in his arms.
“I guess everyone missed having little Nova around the house,” he says, grinning.
“I missed walking these halls every day,” I breathe, before Evelyn claims me in her own embrace.
Her curls are shorter, but her smile is the same. I notice the glint of a ring on her left hand and my eyes widen.
“No way.” I clutch her hands, bouncing on my toes. “When? How? Tell me everything!”
She giggles, cheeks pink. “A year and a half ago. His name’s Noah.”
Chris chimes in with a smirk: “Your old self-defense teacher.”
“Shut up, you idiot.” She swats him before turning back to me.
“That man?” I gasp, laughing. “I thought you hated each other. He was hot, though. God, I need details.”
She laughs, promising later, and then her smile softens. “I’ve missed you, little one.”
“I missed you too,” I whisper, clinging to her.
But then her voice drops. “He’s not well.”
I already know who she means. My chest tightens. “I know.”
“Why don’t you...” she hesitates. “You’re the only one he still listens to.”
I nod, the weight of her words pressing into me. My steps feel heavy as I make my way to the study door. I pause, handhovering. We haven’t spoken face-to-face since my birthday. At work, we orbit each other, careful not to touch, not to get caught alone.
But the sound of music leaks through the door—soft, haunting. The notes tremble like they’re afraid to exist. It’sAvril Lavigne’s When You’re Gone.
You can do this, Nova. Be brave. He needs you.
I push the door open quietly. The room is dim except for the lamp casting a pool of yellow light over the piano. He’s hunched forward, shoulders caved in, as though the weight of the world is pressing down on him. His fingers hover uncertainly above the keys, trembling with every shallow breath. The melody falters, breaks apart, and I swear I can feel the ache bleeding out of him with every note.
My chest tightens.
I set my bag down at his feet, careful not to startle him, and lower myself beside him on the bench. He stiffens instantly, the music cutting off. His hands freeze in midair as though caught doing something shameful. A shiver runs through him, rippling like a live current, and I can feel it even without touching him.
My own hands are shaking when I reach out. I slide my fingers into his, weaving them together, grounding both of us. His skin is cold, tense. “Try this, Cooper,” I whisper, guiding our joined hands down onto the keys.
I press softly, coaxing out the chords of the one song I ever learned. The sound is clumsy at first, broken, but it’s something—something steady to hold on to.
He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, lips twitching like he wants to smile but can’t quite get there. His voice is rough, barely a rasp. “A Million Dreams?”
I nod, my throat too tight for words.
Something shifts. He inhales, deeper this time, and his hands—though still trembling—take control. He plays with morecertainty, pulling the melody into shape. Stronger. Surer. He always has been the one to lead me back when I’m lost.
